


Under Different Stars

by graytheglowinggay



Series: X-Men: My Self-Indulgent Gay Nonsense [7]
Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Age of X-Man (Marvel Comics), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Related, During Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ficlet, Gentle Kissing, Grief/Mourning, M/M, No Dialogue, Open Marriage, Open Relationships, Presumed Dead, Rare Pairings, Relationship of Convenience, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23805592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graytheglowinggay/pseuds/graytheglowinggay
Summary: Kyle Jinadu and Shatterstar find some comfort in each other.Filling in the details of Age of X-Man.
Relationships: Jean-Paul Beaubier/Kyle Jinadu, Julio Richter/Shatterstar, Kyle Jinadu & Shatterstar, Kyle Jinadu/Shatterstar
Series: X-Men: My Self-Indulgent Gay Nonsense [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693336
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Under Different Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Again, no cheating, open relationships are the deal and assumed.

It had been three months since the X-Men had disappeared, and Kyle had never felt more alone. Even in the rocky beginning of their courtship, when they were off and on like two high school theatre kids, all he had to was look to the Montreal sky for a flash of black and white. It wasn’t the same as seeing that smile, the one Jean-Paul only had for him, so different from the confident half-smirk he had for the cameras, but it still made his heart flutter, if only a little bit.

Now, Kyle couldn’t even look to the sky for comfort. His Jean-Paul was missing, and missing in the kind of way that his guesses were as good as anyone else’s. He wasn’t alone, though. Wolverine or Cyclops would stop by once a week to update him on their progress, and maybe drop off a six-pack or some takeout when they knew he wasn’t eating. Rogue and Gambit, back from their honeymoon, insisted on playing cards and watching their favorite movies with him, eager to coax out even the smallest bit of laughter. Sometimes, it worked. More often, though, it didn’t, and when his guests had left, Kyle would take one of his husband’s shirts, the ones that still smelled like him, and fall asleep holding onto it, trying to ignore the absence on the other side of the bed.

Shatterstar wasn’t like his other visitors. Rictor had heeded the X-Men’s call for help and was missing just like Northstar. They shared the same sorrow tinged with resentment; the pain of wrong place, wrong time. Shatterstar had shown up unannounced one day, as the Mojo-warrior tended to do, but instead of trying to convince Kyle to partake in any number of uplifting activities, he just stayed there, in the Jinadu-Beaubier apartment, saying nothing. The two of them ended up on the couch on opposite sides, apart but more unified in feeling than Kyle had felt from any of his other would-be comforters.

Kyle wasn’t quite sure how Shatterstar ended up staying through the nights, only that something unspoken had passed between them, and the empty spot in his bed was now full. They would end up nestled against each other in sleep, seeking out the body heat that had been so absent as of late. Shatterstar wasn’t as warm as Jean-Paul was, but he was sturdy, stable, _something_.

Shatterstar had become a man of few words, fewer than he already had for those that weren’t his Julio. Kyle enjoyed the silence. It was better than the dozens of awkward apologies he got from colleagues who understood nothing but knew it was polite to try. He’d have to excuse himself from meetings often because what was the meaning of managing the brand of a missing man? What was the point of it? Kyle thought work would keep him sane, but it only reminded him further of the absence.

The two of them were half-asleep when the first kiss happened. There was a reflex, of course, triggered by sharing a bed, that made such affections instinctual. Kyle didn’t realize what had happened until after their lips had separated. Neither of them said anything. It was what it was. Something they had needed, he supposed. A kiss in the morning. A kiss before breakfast. A kiss in the afternoon. A kiss before bed. They were both starved. It wasn’t perfect but it kept them fed.

**Author's Note:**

> Considering that my last fic involved Northstar/Rictor, it's only fair that I write another with that pair's compliment. Age of X-Man has been my muse lately, and I do love me some angst and hurt/comfort. Also, yes, the title is a pun on Northstar and Shatterstar having "star" in them, I'm a goddamn genius.


End file.
